Improvement in torsion-springs for vehicles



W. EVANS & W. H. SPARK-s.

Torsion-Spring for Vehicle.

No. 199,810. Patented Jah.'29, I878.

61 Zara N. PETERS. PNOTOLITHOGRAPKER. WASNXNGTONv D C.

i U ITED STATES P TEN OEFIoE.

WILLIAM EVANS, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND- WILLIAM H. SPARKS, 0FCAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO BENEZET & 00., or

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TORSION-SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES.

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,810, datedJanuary 29, 1878; application filed October 8, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM EVANS, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, and WILLIAM H. SPARKS, ofthe city of Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey,have invented a Combined Torsion Spring and. Hanger for Vehicles, whichinvention is fully set forth in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of the under side ofthe bottom of a wagon-body having our improvements attached. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section at the line w w of Fig. 1, the vehicle being in itsdirect position. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at the line 3/ g of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is an isometrical perspective View of a torsional'spring, a. a,and hanger C, on an enlarged scale. a Fig. 5 is a like view of one ofthe socket-clips E.

Like letters of reference in all the figures indicate the same parts.

Our invention consists of a combined torsional spring and hanger in acontinuous piece of steel. One end of a bar, out of which the device ismade, is brought into suitable form for the body of the hanger, and thespring part is formed by splitting the remaining part of the bar to.form spring-arms, which are so bent as to project from the body inopposite directions, and are reduced to a round or other suitable formof the proper size. We usually connect four of the combined springs andhangers, more particularly described hereinafter, with the side bars andthe bottom of a Wagon-body, but do not confine ourselves to the use ofthat number, as in some cases more may be required. By making a combinedtorsional spring and hanger of a continuous piece of steel, theattachment of the body of a vehicle to its axles is rendered muchsimpler than it can otherwise be accomplished, and the liability of theconnections getting out of order is avoided.

In the drawings, A represents the bottom of a wagon-body, and B B theside bars. The combined spring and hanger, of which four are used in thepresent instance, consists of a rigid body, C, and arms a a, continuedtherefrom, which constitute the spring part of the hanger. The arms aremade by splitting a sufficient portion of the bar out of which thedevice is made, and reducing the two parts thus made to the proper sizeand form. (Shown in Fig. 1.)

The outer end of the body C of each combined spring and hanger isconnected to a side bar, B, by means of a cap, D, or other suitabledevice.

The said cap is not new in this application, it being embraced in thepatent of the abovenamed William Evans, dated August 22, 1876, No.181,423.

The arms a a are bent into the form represented in the drawings andconfined to the socket-clips E, the sockets being of corre-. spondingsize and form to the size and form of the ends of the arms, to hold themfirmly. The clips are bolted or otherwise firmly secured to the bottomA.

It will readily be seen that the parts 0 and a a constitute,essentially,a hanger, and that, by splitting one end of a bar of steel, out of whichthe device is formed, as represented, and reducing the two parts thusmade by the splitting to a suitable size. and form for the spring partsof the hanger, which parts, in their cross-section, are much smallerthan the rigid body C, a torsional spring is readily formed by turningsaid body C around, so as to give a torsional spring to the arms a a;and that, the body C being of much larger area in cross-section than thearms, the form of said body C is not changed by producing torsion in thearms. After giving torsion to the arms the body C is connected with thecap D, as described, to complete the connection of the device with thebody A and side bars 13 B.

Wehave represented four combined springs and hangers in connection witha vehicle, but do not confine ourselves to the use of that number, as insome cases more may be required.

We claim as our invention- 1. A combined torsional spring and hangermade in a single piece, the body of the hanger being of suitable sizeand form, and the spring consisting of two .arms, projected therefrombottom of a vehicle and the side bars B B,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 4. The clips E, incombination with the spring-arms a a of the hanger and body A of aWagon, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM EVANS. WILLIAM H. SPARKS.

Witnesses: t

ALEXANDER H. MORGAN, STEPHEN USTICK.

